First Impressions And Second Chances
by DangerousDreams
Summary: Terribly, terribly sappy. Basically the essence of the Ichiruki relationship up through to the end of the SS Arc. One swear.


Rain.

Rain defines her entire being. Rain reflects the misery that she is. She's fallen into a deep, dark hole from which no one can help her escape. Rain fell on the night that the person who she lived for died.

Rain.

Rain defines his entire being. Rain reflects his need to protect someone, to make up for that time he couldn't. Rain fell when he stopped smiling.

***

_If I were the rain, that joins the earth and sky that otherwise never touch, could I join two hearts as well?_

***

The first time she sees him, she is jerked quite violently out of the stoic, emotionless state she's built over the years. She's never thought that much about fate, but she KNOWS there's no way this boy is a simple coincidence.

The first time he sees her, he has a really bad feeling. He knows he's not getting out of this unaffected, unscathed. And when she explains Hollows and shinigami, he gets an overwhelming urge to run away, to just get away before something VERY bad happens. Then his family is hurt, and he is no longer thinking of running away. Then she is hurt, and he is enraged at himself. Someone was hurt protecting him, again.

She can't let him die. And she knows her next actions will come back to bite her in the ass. Hard. But she offers the option anyway. Then she finds herself plunging her blade into someone's heart, to protect herself, again, and almost cries at the irony of it.

***

As he gets to know her, he starts to love her. She's just so different, and charming, and annoying. He also know that she had really no reason to save him and his family.

As she gets to know him, she starts to love him. He's really weird, and he acts all tough, but he has such a kind heart. She also knows he could just turn her out onto the streets, but he lets her sleep in his closet.

***

He can't believe this. She's being taken. Because of him. It's his fault she's going to be executed. He had been given a second chance to protect a loved one, and had failed again.

She knows she can delay, maybe even stop, his death by going quietly. She understands now that she is being given a second chance with him. The fact that he looks so much like that person has awoken her, and now fate is telling her she can make things right again and protect the one she loves, by putting him first, not herself like last time.

***

On that bridge, she torn between crying, or throwing her arms around him, or laughing hysterically. Even though she really likes the second choice, she decides crying will make her look the least insane, and cries. She knew this was going to happen. She knew he would come after her. She's secretly happy but her anger shows the most. He was all cut up, all because of her. This is her second chance to save him.

On that bridge, he is torn between ignoring her for being ungrateful, or hugging her, or scolding her. Although the second choice is inviting, he decides on scolding, for the sake of routine, and it'll get his frustration out. Besides, he so misses bickering with her. He's surprised to see her crying, and wants her to stop, because he hates it when she's upset, especially when it's his fault. He's actually relieved when she yells at him. This is his second chance to save her.

***

Now she is sure that nobody can or will save her. She's going to take advantage of this last chance to save their lives. She runs through the memories and can't stop thinking of him, and how he had only known her for what, two months? And yet, he had come to save her. A single tear falls. Her eyes close for the last time. Then, when the pain she is anticipating doesn't come, she opens them cautiously. He's standing before her, clearly expecting to save her, clearly expecting her to be happy at his interference. As she pleads with him to leave her, save herself, she knows and he knows her heart wants him to stay here with her. Then, due to a dizzyingly fast sequence of events that don't exactly make sense, he destroys the rack, and picks her up in his strong arms-well, arm. Right then and there, she realizes how small she is. By now, she's resigned herself to going along with whatever crazy, psychopathic scheme he's got going in that stubborn head of his. When he throw her to Renji, after the initial shock of being thrown quite unexpectedly, quite powerfully, from quite a tall height, she realizes she's not crying anymore, but she IS disappointed to leave the safety of him being so close to her, and leaving him to fight on his own. She feels so _useless_.

Adrenaline flows through him once he realizes she's okay, that he made it in time. The second she starts shouting at him, he knows there's hope, and he can save her. He also knows there's NO WAY that he's doing what she says, and just leaving her. He's glad to see some of the other shinigami are helping him, he's not sure why, but he's not questioning it. He takes the opportunity to destroy the execution rack. He's now holding her close to him, quite easily, but he has to let her go and fight, which he does, and win, which he does.

***


End file.
